


Pinky Promise

by ephemeralembers



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Apocalypse, American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: Gen, It's gay if you squint, Other, foxxay - Freeform, goodeday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 05:04:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18653467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ephemeralembers/pseuds/ephemeralembers
Summary: In which teacher!Misty notices one of her young students is struggling. She offers advice.





	Pinky Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Teacher!Misty also talks a lot so theres a bunch of dialogue (again) whoops. Pre-Relationship Gay (at the end) if you squint. Thanks to my love for always putting up with reading these before they're set out into the world. <3

The unmistakable sound of low whispers and papers rustling as they’re being shoved into book bags disturbed Misty from finishing the notes she was writing on the board.  _ Really? There’s only one section left today.  _ Then again, she remembered that feeling of restlessness as a class period came to an end. She couldn’t wait to get lunch and to bury her feet in the grass of the playground at recess. During the few years of school she had attended, she was guilty of the very thing that she currently found slightly annoying. This whole teaching gig was throwing her for a loop.

“Okay, kids,” she sighed in resignation. “That’s it for today. Go join the others for lunch.” She could tell their attention was waning thin with only five measly minutes left of class. And by the eager looks on their faces and exclamations of relief scattered throughout the classroom area of the greenhouse after her announcement, Misty knew she definitely wouldn’t have gotten a productive last few minutes with the girls anyway. 

 

Something Misty had always been good at was reading people. She could tell a lot about a person just by looking at them, especially if she spent a considerable amount of time with them. One young witch in particular looked like she was having a hard time paying attention as of late. While the students filed out of the greenhouse, Misty caught the girl’s attention. “Laurel, can you come see for a minute? I won’t keep ya long, I promise.”   
  
Laurel, a girl nearing 9 years old, sauntered back to Misty’s desk. “Yes, Miss Day?” Her eyes were wide as she looked up at her teacher.   
  
Misty leaned against the side of her desk, gesturing for the girl to have a seat in the chair. She didn’t want to intimidate Laurel, so she refrained from crossing her arms and sternly sitting across from her. Learning the body language for her new position as Head Green Witch was something she was still working on. She wasn’t used to being in command of so many students of all ages. Adjusting her demeanor for each age group was almost like mental gymnastics.    
  
“Is everything okay, kiddo? You seem distracted lately.”   
  
Laurel’s chin trembled as she frowned up trying to hold back her tears. Misty couldn’t stand to see the young girl upset.    
  
“It’s okay, little one. You can tell me. What’s going on? Here,” she handed Laurel a tissue.   
  
“Well,” she began after wiping her reddened nose and tear stained cheeks, “I haven’t been able to do anything good. I can’t make my magic work, Miss Day. I used to be able to do it but I can’t anymore!” She began to cry again.   
  
“Hey, hey, it’s alright. That’s okay. You can’t force it to work, june bug. Forcing it just makes it harder and won’t get you anywhere, okay?”   
  
Misty’s words didn’t seem to console Laurel very much. She cried harder.  _ Oh boy. I wasn’t prepared for this _ . Her mind scrambled to find something - anything- that would help her student. An idea popped into her head a moment later: make this situation relatable.   
  
“It’s okay, Laurel. Listen, I’ve got a story for you. But first, you gotta slow down. Try to breathe.”   
  
“Can you tell me?” was broken up by sniffles while the girl tried to get her breathing back to normal.    
  
“Well, let me tell you a little something about a witch. You know Miss Goode, right?” The girl nodded.  “Before she became the Supreme, she was dead set on the idea that she was just an average witch. She didn’t believe her powers could reach as far as they do now, until her aunt convinced her to try th…” Misty knew the younger girls weren’t familiar with the Seven Wonders yet, and she didn’t want to be the one to introduce them to those tests (for obvious reasons). “To try to play in some games. Kind of like the Supreme Olympics. She competed against a few other powerful witches and she won all the games. She realized that the power was in her all along. She just needed to believe in herself. And look at her now.” Misty offered the girl a smile. “She’s the  _ Supreme _ .”   
  
Wonder filled Laurel’s voice. “Wow, really?! What kind of games?”   
  
“Oh yeah, It’s all true.”  _ What kind of games? Oh jeez _ . “Well, there were a couple games but one was like hide and seek, except you found things with your mind.”   
  
“That sounds so cool!”    
  
Misty began to tell Laurel to join the rest of the girls when her student posed another question she wasn’t quite prepared to answer.   
  
“Miss Day, did you play against Miss Goode?”   
  
For a moment, Misty was sure the panic she felt in her chest registered on her face. “W- uh well, I would’ve competed against her, but I went on a little trip around the same time, so I couldn’t.”  _ Nice save _ , she thought.   
  
“What kind of trip?”   
  
More panic in her chest. Misty never thought she’d have to talk about this with a young student, or with any student or anyone else for that matter. Cordelia had been there for her in the weeks after returning from hell. She saw the worst of the aftershocks that rattled Misty’s bones and disturbed her slumber after returning to the real world, and that wasn't something she wanted to share with anyone besides Cordelia. She knew she shouldn’t discuss such a thing in detail with a student, especially one of such a young age. Plus, revealing that she descended into hell and got stuck in a perpetual loop of anguish while performing the Seven Wonders would have frightened any young witch. She weighed her words carefully.   
  
“Um, well I was part of a select few who were chosen to study a special species of frog in a far away place. We had to work inside labs and dissect the frogs to learn more about them.” Laurel let out an audible protest at the idea of dissecting frogs. “Now, I had a hard time looking at all those dead frogs on the table and I let my magic get the best of me. All of a sudden, the frogs started springing to life and were hoppin’ and singin’ their croaky song all over the lab.”   
  
“You did that?” The girl’s eyes widened again.   
  
“Oh yeah, and I got in a bunch of trouble too. But I kept on doing it with every new batch of frogs they brought in. The other folks I was working with stared at me and whispered about me. Eventually, I stopped using my magic altogether. When I came home after being in the field for a while, I felt like my magic was a bad thing. A thing that I couldn’t control. I wasn’t feelin’ very confident.”   
  
Laurel questioned her. “But you’re better now, right?”   
  
“Of course, june bug! It’s all because of Miss Cordelia.”   
  
“How?”   
  
Misty hadn’t realized how inquisitive young minds really were. “When I came back, she took me into this greenhouse and worked with me to help gain my confidence back. She taught me an important lesson in focussing my intention and working to strengthen it.” Misty then explained the spells, potions, and charms she worked with that took minimal energy to do. She thought Laurel might benefit from knowing that magic can be simple and easy. “Your magic doesn’t have to be a big ol’ production, but just keep practicing little things and your magic will grow with you.”   
  
The young witch twisted her fingers together worriedly in her lap. “But…but what if I don’t get better at it?”   
  
“Don't worry. You will. I promise.”   
  
“Pinky promise?”

  
Misty smiled, held out her pinky, and hooked it with Laurel’s. “Pinky promise. Now, go grab lunch with the girls. I’ve kept you in here long enough.”   
  
Laurel stood, and reached up for a hug from Miss Day. “Will you practice with me one day?”   
  
“Sure thing, kiddo.”   
  
“Thanks Miss Day!” As little Laurel ran to exit the greenhouse, she saw Cordelia leaning against the doorframe. “Hey Miss Goode!”   
  
Misty had already gone back to working on her notes for the next class when the girl unintentionally announcing Cordelia’s presence stole her attention. She looked toward the Supreme with a wide smile and a quiet “hey”.   
  
“What was all that about?,” Cordelia inquired as she moved closer to the table where Misty was situated with her pens and papers strewn over the surface.   
  
Misty explained that Laurel was having difficulty finding confidence in her magic, and that she just told her to trust herself and nurture her talents with little bits of magic until she’s more sure of herself.   
  
Cordelia smiled, catching her bottom lip with her teeth. “You handled that really well,” she said sitting down across the table from Misty.    
  
“How long have you been here anyway?” She questioned with a smile.   
  
“Since the class period ended. I was wondering if you’d want to have lunch with me, but I couldn’t tear you away from that conversation.” Cordelia reached over and took Misty’s hands into her own. “She looked captivated by you. And I can’t say that I blame her.”   
  
A wave of blush crept up Misty’s cheeks, the involuntary action giving her away. This wasn’t the first time Cordelia caused her cheeks to grow roseate, and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last. She had a way of doing that. Of knowing just which string to pluck, and when, that made Misty feel the familiar heat of a Louisiana summer day on her face. She was sure she resembled the heart-eyes emoji she so recently grew fond of using when texting Cordelia.   
  
“Oh jeez, Delia. You’re just saying that. I was just doing what’s right.”   
  
Her thumb delicately traced the peaks and valleys of Misty’s knuckles, then the big turquoise ring on her index finger. “I’m really not. You’re so good with the students. They love you.” She paused. It was a comfortable silence. “I’m so glad you decided to take the teaching position, Misty. This place wouldn’t be nearly the same without you.”   
  
Misty wanted to voice her own concerns about her lack of confidence in her abilities as a teacher, but she was interrupted by her stomach growling at her.   
  
“How about that lunch now? You must be ravenous.” Cordelia stood up, walked around the table, and encouraged Misty to link arms with her.   
  
Misty answered the gesture. She playfully nudged Cordelia as they walked out of the greenhouse arm in arm. “Y’know, I’m glad I took the job, too. Thanks for always encouraging me, Delia.”


End file.
